The present invention relates to meat products generally and in particular to processed meat products containing ingredients which improve the functionality, texture and appearance of the processed meat product. Specifically, the present invention relates to the use of modified starch products which can be incorporated into whole muscle tissue as well as into comminuted meat products.
The use of starch products to improve the functionality of whole muscle tissue meat products is well known to the art. In particular, it is well known to incorporate starches such as corn starch or potato starch into meat products in order to stabilize the inherent and added moisture present in such products. The presence of such starch products will minimize the "weeping" of moisture that can occur during storage of the processed meat products. In addition to stabilizing the water content of the meat products the incorporation of starches can provide improvements in other properties of the meat products including those of texture, slicing ability and appearance.
For example, the incorporation of potato starch is known to contribute to texture, and slicing attributes of whole muscle tissue such as chicken or turkey breasts to which it is added. The incorporation of corn starch is known to provide similar improvements to those provided by potato starch but generally provides superior appearance attributes. In particular, the incorporation of corn starch into whole muscle tissues minimizes or eliminates the appearance of striations that become visible with use of higher levels of potato starch in such whole muscle meat products.
Regulatory authorities have established limitations on the types and amounts of ingredients that can be incorporated into meat products. For example, current U.S. Department of Agriculture regulations permit addition of up to 3.5% by weight dry solids basis starch to cooked meat products which levels are frequently capable of achieving high yields or "pump" levels. Accordingly, when higher allowable levels of currently used starches are incorporated into whole tissue meat products and water and other ingredients are incorporated in the products at higher "pump" levels such as 130 or more (e.g., a pump level of 150 means 50% added ingredients), the appearance and texture properties of the resulting meat product can be adversely affected.
Thus, there remains a desire in the art for improved starch compositions for incorporation into meat products to provide improved functional, textural and appearance properties to the resulting meat product generally, and particularly when the added ingredients are incorporated into the meat products at high levels.